


The third wheel

by Julia_Danse



Series: The Knight and the Paladin - A series of Oneshots [16]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Alcohol, Drunk Sex, F/M, Loneliness, Rain, Sex, Sexual Content, third rail - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-12 08:58:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19943545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julia_Danse/pseuds/Julia_Danse
Summary: Where Kathryn was left behind a young mercenary is there to help her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Contains Sexual content.

She was standing in the pouring rain. Again they left her behind and made their way back. She was standing there, staring. Her hair was dripping, just like her dress and the tips of her fingers. The tasteless rain mixed on her cheeks with her salty tears. She was always the third wheel when they went out and felt left behind. She was so freaking lonely right now, standing there, in the middle of the street. One of the drifters came over and tried to talk to her. She didn’t listen. The only thing she heard was the fading laughs of her already gone friends. Lightning struck nearby, shaking the whole ground underneath her feet. She didn’t even blink.  
  
She was numb. The cold rain took a part in it. Her feelings went blank, just like her mind. Her feet walked her uncontrolled down into the Third Rail. Ham looked at her like she was a slimy sea monster while she passed him, but didn’t say a word after he saw the look on her face. Whitechapel Charlie gave her a bottle of Vodka before she silently went to the VIP room and sitting down at the couch. “Kathryn?”, a young man called out to her. She blinked at him. “MacCready?” He nodded after she said his name. A sad smile crept at her face as he sat down next to her asking how she was doing. “I’m fine.”, she just said. He didn’t believe it.  
  
“You’re not. Besides that you’re completely soaked, I can see that something’s wrong.” the young mercenary said. She huffed and only shook her head. “I am lonely...”, she eventually sighed out. MacCready frowned and put a hand on her shoulder. “Aren’t we all sometimes?”, he stated. She only nodded and thought he was right. She opened the bottle of Vodka and drank from it, it’s burning sensation heating up her insides. She flinched but took another swig and then gave the bottle to the young mercenary. At least she now had a drinking buddy. The evening went by and soon the Vodka was gone. Kathryn giggled like a school girl at the jokes MacCready told her.  
  
She remembered how she was flirting with him back when she shot him. “How’s your shoulder by the way?”, she asked him. He was surprised that she remembered and wiggled his arm. “It’s good, thank you.” A small smile crept onto her face. “That’s good...”, she said getting sad. The alcohol must’ve hit her stronger than she’d expected when tears began to form in the corners of her eyes again. “Now, now. Don’t you cry angel...”, MacCready said as he cradled her cheek in one of his hands, wiping away a single tear with his thumb. “You wanna tell me why you’re so upset?”  
  
She stared at him, his baby blue eyes piercing her own blue ones. They were magnetic and beautiful. She felt how she got lost in them and looked away. “Remember my CO?”, she then asked him. “Yeah.” He chuckled a little, remembering how jealous he was back then. “Well, he said he would stay by my side all the time. Like a good sponsor would do...” She sighed. “But?”, MacCready asked. “Well... my friends, Nate and Piper, took him with them and left me behind. I don’t know why but it hurts me, you know..?” She sobbed, hugging her knees now. “Wait a minute... Piper is your friend? Wow, she never mentioned you...” MacCready said perplexed.  
  
“Same with you.”, Kat answered. “Anyway. I’m sure there’s nothing serious with what you told me. Although I know that it can hurt.” She looked at him again. “And hey, you have me right now, don’t you?”, he then said trying to lighten up her sad mood. His smile was contagious and Kat smiled back at him. She realized he still held her cheek, gently rubbing his thumb back and forth. She blushed a little. “Alcohol is a funny thing, isn’t it?”, he said, voice hushed and low. He leaned to her, his face close to hers. “MacCready, what are you doing?” Kat looked at him. His lips were slightly parted and his gaze lingered on hers. “I wanted to do this since I met you at the interchange...”, he whispered and kissed her.  
  
To her own surprise, Kat melted into the kiss. She was hurt and somehow carved for a physical connection. From one second to the other the kiss grew hotter and needier. The young mercenary softly forced Kat to lay down onto the couch and she obeyed. He was now on top of her, his hands roaming her body, just like hers roamed him. “What are we doing here..?”, Kat said as she broke the kiss, looking into those wonderful baby blue eyes. MacCready chuckled. “Something to cheer you up, angel.” She couldn’t argue with that and bit her lower lip. “Come on, let’s leave before we get interrupted.”, he whispered in Kat’s ear and she agreed.  
  
They found themselves in one of the rooms of Hotel Rexford with another two alcohol filled bottles. They laughed and drank and kissed. They were roaming each other again, slowly taking off each others clothes. “Wow... you truly are godlike, you know that?”, MacCready said in awe. Kat stood in front of him, only wearing her underwear. He came closer, trailing every one of her scars, leaving kisses on every line on her body. She shuddered at the soft touch of his lips and a sigh escaped her mouth. “MacCready...”, she moaned with a soft voice. “Please, call me Robert or RJ, what ever you prefer angel.”  
  
Kat looked at him, eyes dark and full of lust. “Come here, Robert.”, she whispered. He also only wore shorts and the touch of his skin on her sent sparks flying through her body. Kat kissed him again, her tongue searching his in a needful way. She slowly took step after step backwards leading them to the bed where she then broke the kiss and sat down. RJ’s cock was already hard and dripping pre cum. Kat took down his short without a word and dropped them to his ankles. A smirk appeared on her face before she began to suck on him. MacCready hissed at the sudden action of her. “Oh god...”, he then moaned while Kat bobbed her head back and forth as she teased him with licking her tongue over the tip of his cock.  
  
Before he was able to come, RJ took Kat by her shoulders and threw her onto the bed, legs spread and him between her. He trailed up her thighs leaving small hickeys while kissing her soft skin. She sighed again, forgetting herself in the pleasure. RJ arrived at her wet folds gently kissing and licking her at her sensitive clit. He pushed a finger inside her slowly thrusting it in and out and she moaned his name again. He inserted a second finger and sped up his pace. Kat’s breathing grew quicker while he still licked and sucked at her clit. “Ah damn... I’m coming...”, she hissed and RJ felt how the muscles around his fingers began to clench. He smiled.  
  
He let her catch her breath before he began to trail up kisses on her stomach, nibbling on one of her nipples while he squeezed on the other breast, sending Kat into another fit of moans. Her hands found their way around his neck and down his back, leaving red scratch marks. He began to kiss her again and she could taste herself on him. She never thought it would taste like this and enjoyed every kiss they shared. “Oh for fucks sake RJ! Fuck me already!”, she pleaded as he still kneaded one of her breasts. “You’re the boss angel.”, he whispered into her ear and then nibbled at her earlobe.  
  
He placed himself in front of her entrance and with one smooth thrust he filled her. A groan of pleasure escaped her mouth and she laughed a sexy laugh as he began to thrust inside her. She squeezed his butt cheeks and he hissed and quickened his pace. “You’re so gorgeous.”, Kat moaned into his ear and it sent him over to fasten his pace even more. They both were near their climaxes and their breathing was erratically. Kat screamed his name as she came and that was when he also got his salvation. He kept lying on her, pecking her neck and lips with kisses. And so they both fell asleep.  
  
Hours later they both woke up, cuddled up at each other and still naked. “Good morning angel.”, a tired MacCready greeted an also tired Kathryn. “Good morning handsome.” She yawned at him and stretched herself. RJ took the opportunity and grabbed her by the waist to put her closer to him. He gently kissed her and asked “I hope you feel better now?” Kat's face was bright red but she smiled. “Yeah, much better.”, she answered. A knock on the door startled them. Kat stood up, covered herself with the blanket and opened the door. “Oh. Shit...”  
  
“Oh shit indeed, Knight! What are you doing here?” Before she could act fast enough Danse swung the door open and saw MacCready immediately. Gladly he was fast enough and almost completely dressed again. But still, Danse was in the room with three large strides, grabbing the young man at the collar of his shirt. “Let me down.”, he said. “What did you do with her?”, the Paladin demanded angrily. “Something you weren’t able to do, _Tin Can_!” Danse threw him onto the ground. “DANSE! STOP!”, Kathryn screamed, making her way between the two men. Tears filled her eyes. She was angry and horrified. “Get dressed. We’re leaving.”, Danse ordered and Kat obeyed. The Paladin walked out of the room and slammed the door. “Oh god, RJ... I’m so sorry...”, Kat cried as she knelt down to the young man. “It’s okay I guess. I should’ve seen that coming.” He shrugged and stood up. “You better leave before he comes back again.” Kat nodded and gave him a goodbye kiss. “I’m sorry...” And she left.  
  
Danse stood outside of the hotel waiting for his subordinate to finally appear at his side. The door opened and she walked out and past him without saying a word. Kathryn left Goodneighbor with tears in her eyes, feeling lonely again. And god she was angry. “Knight, wait!”, Danse said. To Kat’s surprise he didn’t sound angry anymore, but hurt? She stopped walking but didn’t turn around. He tried to turn her around and grabbed her by her shoulder. A pang rang in his ears as she slapped him in the face, chest heaving as she breathed heavily. “What?”, she hissed.  
  
He was taken aback by her behavior, a hand on his cheek as it burned bright red in the cold day. “I... I just wanted you to be safe...”, he then said eyes dropping to the ground. “I was safe, Danse. RJ was there for me when _you_ weren’t. _He_ helped me cope with my loneliness, you know?!” Tears streamed down her cheeks, the cold wind leaving burning lines on her face where the salty fluid touched her skin. She turned around and began to walk again, shaking her head rapidly and hugging herself to control the trembling of her body. “Kathryn, wait.”, Danse called out after her but she didn’t listen. He sighed and followed her with a distance.  
  
“Please, come back with me to Cambridge.”, he pleaded after a while, desperately trying to get the angry woman to talk. He closed the distance between them and walked beside her now. She still cried in silence. The tear stains on her skin revealed her suffering. “Please Kathryn... Talk to me.” He really sounded desperate now. “I fucked him.” Danse blinked. “What?” Kat looked him directly into the eyes. “MacCready and I fucked each other.” “Kathryn-” “We were drunk, okay?! I was lonely and he was there, drinking with me and making silly jokes. It just happened.” Danse’s gaze dropped. Without any more words he quickened his pace and walked on. “Go home Knight. That’s an order!”  
  
When Kat arrived at her beloved Red Rocket Station she was freezing. The walk from Goodneighbor back home was spiked with fits of crazy crying, swearing and killing off radroaches with her bare hands. She ignored Dogmeat and went straight to the shower. When she came back she was dressed in a cozy sweater and fitting sweat pants. She started a fire at her cooking station and then settled down to give Dogmeat his denied pets. He immediately sensed that she was sad and whined, nuzzling his nose into her face. “I fucked up...”


	2. Of broken promises and planning a party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat goes back to Cambridge and has a breakdown.  
> Can Danse and her save their relationship?

‘“ _I’d_ never _hook up with anyone. I don’t have to. Because...”_  
  
_His eyes widened when she squeezed his hands._  
  
_“...I have you.”’_  
  
  
He shook his head. He remembered what she had said back then. She broke her promise and it hurt him. He knew that personal feelings for someone else would hurt him sooner or later. He just didn’t understand that it had to be her and it pained him even more... He walked back to Cambridge remorse gnawing on him because he didn’t tell her why they had left her behind. It should have been a surprise. He shook his head and sighed. At least his walk back was uneventful.  
  
He silently walked into the police station. He could hear the others laugh and felt even more bad. As they noticed him they still laughed, but one look into his face silenced them. “What happened?”, Piper asked. He shook his head and didn’t answer at first. “Danse. What. Happened?”, she demanded now. “Fine... Kathryn won’t come.” Nate and Piper gasped in surprise. “What? Why?”, they both asked. Danse’s face was a mask of pain. The corners of his mouth hung down and he frowned. “It’s my fault.” he said “I should’ve told her what we were doing. Why we left her behind...” He went to his desk in the next room and closed the door behind him.  
  
Piper wanted to go after him, asking what was wrong. But Nate held her at a shoulder and shook his head. “Leave him. He needs time to think.” Rhys and Haylen agreed with him. “What do we do now?”, the reporter asked her friends. None of them knew an answer. Danse sat down in the chair and leaned his elbows on the desk, face in his hands rubbing it. He sighed and balled his hands into fists. “Fuck...” He looked up onto the ceiling like it had all the answers he was searching for. But all he was greeted with was silence. His trust in her was broken by himself. He promised her that he’d stay by her side, no matter what. How could he trust him or her again? All those questions throbbed in his head. He needed sleep.  
  
***  
  
Kat woke up with puffy and red eyes. She was crying herself to sleep, lying in front of the fire pit and Dogmeat cuddling against her. She was stiff as she stood up and her joints popped while stretching her body. At least somehow she prevented herself from a hangover. She felt bad on how she treated Danse. She knew that she had to fix this somehow. “Hey Dogmeat, you wanna go for a walk?”, she called the German Shepherd. He barked and already stood at the door. She just grabbed her rifle and some fusion cells and began to walk south east.  
  
The police station came into view and it looked as peaceful as ever. No single feral ghoul was roaming the area and Kat had a safe entrance into the station’s compound. She opened one of the blue doors and stepped inside, Dogmeat at her heels. He ran past her and barked joyful at everyone sitting in the main room. “Dogmeat!”, they all said in unison. He went to everyone getting all the pets he liked and licked hands and faces. They chuckled and laughed at the dog and petted him more. Kat heard Rhys, Haylen, Nate and Piper. But where was Danse?  
  
She stepped up the stairs and was greeted with an instant silence. They all stared at Kat and she stared back at them. The silence between them felt like an eternity before Piper cleared her throat. “Hey Kathryn-” “I knew I should’ve stayed at home.”, Kat said in a monotone already turning around when she heard a door open. “Kathryn...” she wasn’t able to look at him. She hastily ran out of the door and out of the compound, leaving Dogmeat behind. She could hear the door open again and that someone was running after her. She turned around a corner and slowed down. Her breathing was fast and she panicked. She slid down at the wall of a broken house and hugged her knees to her chest. The running behind her also slowed down and she heard the steps move into her direction. “Are you done running away now?” He sounded tired. She looked up into the face of a frowning black haired man. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest. The look in his eyes frightened her. It was sad and broken, like he didn’t trust her anymore. “I should have stayed at home.”, she just repeated again, looking away now. “Why?”, he asked. “I’m not ready for this.”  
  
“For what?”  
“Talking with you. I know that I fucked up bad. But I can’t...” she exhaled a shaky breath.  
“For Christ’s sake! Get your goddamn shit together!” He was almost shouting at her. The vein on his forehead pulsed as anger flared through him. She instantly began to cry repeating the words “I’m sorry” over and over again. A fucking mental breakdown.  
“YOU LEFT ME ALONE!”, she screamed at him. “I WAS SO FUCKING ALONE AND LONELY! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THOUGHT I SHOULD’VE DONE?!”  
“How about _not_ fucking with someone YOU said I don’t have to worry about?!”, he hissed. And as he said the YOU he rammed his finger into her chest.  
  
Her back painfully pushed into the wall and she cried out in pain. “God damn, Kathryn... I am so sorry...”, Danse tried to calm her down. He knelt down in front of her and tried to comfort her. He held up his arms and wanted to pull her into a hug. “Don’t you dare to touch me, _Paladin_!” She tried to make herself as small as possible, escaping his outstretched arms. He dropped them down to his sides defeated. His whole body shook as he tried to shut down his own sobbing. His shoulders were slumped down and he looked away. “I failed you.”, he said swallowing down the lump in his throat. Kat looked up at a broken man. His stoic facade crumbling down in front of her.  
  
“I should have told you why we went away without you. It should have been a surprise. Piper said it’s your birthday and she persuaded me to throw a party for you at the police station. She had gathered everything needed for such an occasion and even decorated the station for you. We had everything set up to cook you your favorite dish. God Kathryn, believe me, please...” He looked at her, his brown eyes like molten chocolate from crying. Her eyes widened at the realization. Suddenly she smiled, it was sad but at least she was smiling at him. “She really remembered that?”, Kat said whispering. Danse nodded and wiped his face.  
  
With one leap she jumped into his arms, laugh-crying at something such trivial. “You fucking assholes.” Kat said, voice muffled from Danse’s shoulder. She sat in his lap and straddled him, cupping his face with her hands. She searched his eyes and noticed the spark in them coming back. “Danse, I need to tell you something, too.”, she then said. He looked at her in silence, waiting for her to continue. “I am also sorry. Most of all for how I treated you. I’m so so sorry.” “Do you regret that night?”, he softly asked her. She frowned and shook her head. “No... but also yes. I honestly don’t know. I just know that I broke a promise I made and that I can’t do a thing to get your trust back...” She still held his face in her hands but she looked down now.  
  
“Hey there...”, Danse whispered as he put his index finger and thumb at her chin and gently pulled her face up. His other hand cupped the back of her head, his fingers entwined in her curly hair as he leaned in to kiss her. She closed her eyes and a sigh escaped her as their lips met. It was a gentle and slow kiss. The emotion it held was enough for her to tear up again. After they broke the kiss they leaned their foreheads together, eyes still closed. “We both made mistakes”, Danse whispered “and we have to learn to live with them, side by side. I will never let you down like that again.”  
  
They walked back around the corner in silence just to get greeted by four people in front of the police station. They all looked ashamed, probably because they were eavesdropping. Kat’s screaming was loud enough to hear it a few blocks away. Dogmeat ran barking towards Kat and almost knocked her over as he jumped at her. She laughed and let herself plopp down so that he could lick her face. They all looked at her and she looked back at them grinning. “I guess we have a birthday to celebrate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and leaving Kudos :-)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and leaving kudos :-)


End file.
